Air conditioner covers

ABSTRACT

A novel and practical means of providing air conditioner units with a protective cover device, is disclosed herein. The air conditioner covers, which can be furnished in a wide variety of sizes to accomodate units of varying dimensions, are easily and quickly installed, and serve to provide the respective unit with a weather-tight protective cover, during winter months or when the unit is out of service for extended periods.

United States Patent [191 Johnson 5] Aug. 27, 1974 AIR CONDITIONERCOVERS 3,388,520 6/1968 Perry .I 49/465 x [76] Inventor: Tage GeorgeJohnson, 2442 Meadowbrook Dr., Denver, Colo. Emminer'l Karl Ben [22]Filed: Mar. 5, 1973 Appl. N0.: 338,077

[52] U.S. Cl. 49/465 [51] Int. Cl E06b 3/32 [58] Field of Search49/463-466, 49/50, 57; 160/368 R, 368 S, 369; 62/265, 262, DlG. 3;52/511, 507, 202; 98/82, 114

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,276.512 lO/l966 Gallagher160/368 R ABSTRACT A novel and practical means of providing airconditioner units with a protective cover device, is disclosed herein.

The air conditioner covers, which can be furnished in a wide variety ofsizes to accomodate units of varying dimensions, are easily and quicklyinstalled, and serve to provide the respective unit with a weather-tightprotective cover, during winter months or when the unit is out ofservice for extended periods.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures AIR CONDITlONER COVERS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION In view of the fact that there is no protective cover of thistype which is currently available to the public, the need for such adevice, of a type which can be conveniently installed and removed, canbe readily appre-' ciated, as air conditioners of all types can be madeto give extended service by the expedient of adequate protection of theinterior components such as motors, condensers, evaporator pads, etc.,especially from dust, moisture and severe weather situations.

OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The primary object of the presentinvention is to provide the means of effectively sealing the aperturesor air intake louvers on all types of air conditioning units, includinglarge industrial types, the roof-mounted (refrigeration or evaporativetypes), and the ordinary window-mounted units intended for home use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional drawingshowing the application of the covers on a typical air conditioner unit;

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional detail view of a comer of the cover unit;and

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional detail view showing the assembly procedureof the fastening strap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to the drawing; as is illustrated inFIG. 1, each cover assembly may be obtained in a quantity and in avariety of sizes to fulfill varying situations, and is composed of thefollowing:

The backing board (reference numeral 2) may be formed from a compositionor plastic material, and should be of a thickness sufficient to preventbuckling or warping, or otherwise adversely affected by weatherconditions.

As is shown in FIG. 2, a layer of soft, resilient material such as foamrubber (reference numeral 4), is bonded to the inner surface of thebacking board, and by the nature of the material (conforming its shapeto irregular surfaces such as louvers) serves to effectively seal outair, dust and moisture.

F IG. 3 illustrates the fastening device (reference numeral 6), whichconsists of a length of rubber strap (reference numeral 8) which isaffixed to the outer face of the backing board 2 by a metal guard(reference numeral 10) which is secured with the rubber strap 8 to thebacking board by a small screw 12.

Attached to'the opposite end of the rubber strap 8 is a small permanenttype magnet (reference numeral 14) by which the cover is secured inplace to the outer metallic surfaces of the air conditioner housing.

What is claimed for the present invention is:

l. A cover assembly intended for attachment to the outside of an airconditioner housing having ventilating louvres therein with the coveradapted to effectively seal such louvres to seal out air, dust, moistureand the like from penetrating into the mechanism of the air 2conditioner through the housing during periods of nonuse of the airconditioner, the cover being conveniently installed and removed from theair conditioner housing, the cover comprising:

a substantially flat rectangularly shaped rigid backing board, saidboard having a face surface, a back surface, and peripheral side and endedges;

a layer of substantially flat relatively soft resilient material havinga face surface and a back surface, said material affixed to said backingboard with said material back surface in juxtaposition with said backingboard face surface;

means securing said resilient material to said backing board; and

a plurality of flexible fastening means adapted for detachably attachingsaid backing board to said air conditioner housing with said resilientmaterial in conforming engagement with said ventilating louvres in amanner to completely block and seal the same, at least one of saidfastening members affixed to said backing board adjacent each side edgeand end edge thereof, each of said fastening members projectingoutwardly from said backing board in a manner to project outwardly oversaid associated end edge and associated side edge thereof, and each ofsaid fastening members having affixed to the free end thereof apermanent magnet adapted to magnetically grip the housing of said airconditioner to retain said backing board and resilient material in adesired position thereon.

2. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient material isof a flat rectangular configuration having side edges and end edges,said side edges being spaced inwardly of adjacent side edges of saidbacking board with said end edgesbeing spaced inwardly from adjacent endedges of said backing board.

3. The cover as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fastening membercomprises an elongated flexible strap member having an apertureextending through one end thereof and having said permanent magnetaffixed to said opposite end thereof, a metal guard member conformed tofit over said apertured end of said strap member and having side wallsadapted to overlie the side edges and top edges of said apertured end ina manner to engage and rest on said backing board back surface, anaperture extending through said metal guard member and adapted to be inaxial alignment with said aperture of said strap member when said guardmember overlies said strap member, and a screw adapted to pass throughsaid aligned apertures and be threadedly received in said backing boardthrough said back surface thereof to retain said guard member and saidend of said strap member affixed to said backing board top surfacewhereby said fastening means may be readily repaired and replaced in theevent of wear, breakage, and the like as a result of deterioration fromthe weather, mishandling, vandalism, and the like.

4. The cover as set forth in claim 3 wherein said resilient material isof a substantially uniform thickness throughout, and wherein said rigidbacking board is of a substantially uniform thickness throughout.

1. A cover assembly intended for attachment to the outside of an airconditioner housing having ventilating louvres therein with the coveradapted to effectively seal such louvres to seal out air, dust, moistureand the like from penetrating into the mechanism of the air conditionerthrough the housing during periods of nonuse of the air conditioner, thecover being conveniently installed and removed from the air conditionerhousing, the cover comprising: A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RECTANGULARLY SHAPEDRIGID BACKING BOARD, SAID BOARD HAVING A FACE SURFACE, A BACK SURFACE,AND PERIPHERAL SIDE AND END EDGES; A LAYER OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLATRELATIVELY SOFT RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING A FACE SURFACE AND A BACKSURFACE, SAID MATERIAL AFFIXED TO SAID BACKING BOARD WITH SAID MATERIALBACK SURFACE IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH SAID BACKING BOARD FACE SURFACE;MEANS SECURING SAID RESILIENT MATERIAL TO SAID BACKING BOARD; AND APLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE FASTENING MEANS ADAPTED FOR DETACHABLY ATTACHINGSAID BACKING BOARD TO SAID AIR CONDITIONER HOUSING WITH SAID RESILIENTMATERIAL IN CONFORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VENTILATING LOUVRES IN AMANNER TO COMPLETELY BLOCK AND SEAL THE SAME, AT LEAST ONE OF SAIDFASTENING MEMBERS AFFIXED TO SAID BACKING BOARD ADJACENT EACH SIDE EDGEAND END EDGE THEREOF, EACH OF SAID FASTENING MEMBERS PROJECTINGOUTWARDLY FROM SAID BACKING BOARD IN A MANNER TO PROJECT OUTWARDLY OVERSAID ASSOCIATED END EDGE AND ASSOCIATED SIDE EDGE THEREOF, AND EACH OFSAID FASTENING MEMBERS HAVING AFFIXED TO THE FREE END THEREOF APERMANENT MAGNET ADAPTED TO MAGNETICALLY GRIP THE HOUSING OF SAID AIRCONDITIONER TO RETAIN SAID BACKING BOARD AND RESILIENT MATERIAL IN ADESIRED POSITION THEREON.
 2. The cover as set forth in claim 1 whereinsaid resilient material is of a flat rectangular configuration havingside edges and end edges, said side edges being spaced inwardly ofadjacent side edges of said backing board with said end edges beingspaced inwardly from adjacent end edges of said backing board.
 3. Thecover as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fastening member comprises anelongated flexible strap member having an aperture extending through oneend thereof and having said permanent magnet affixed to said oppositeend thereof, a metal guard member conformed to fit over said aperturedend of said strap member and having side walls adapted to overlie theside edges and top edges of said apertured end in a manner to engage andrest on said backing board back surface, an aperture extending throughsaid metal guard member and adapted to be in axial alignment with saidaperture of said strap member when said guard member overlies said strapmember, and a screw adapted to pass through said aligned apertures andbe threadedly received in said backing board through said back surfacethereof to retain said guard member and said end of said strap memberaffixed to said backing board top surface whereby said fastening meansmay be readily repaired and replaced in the event of wear, breakage, andthe like as a result of deterioration from the weather, mishandling,vandalism, and the like.
 4. The cover as set forth in claim 3 whereinsaid resilient material is of a substantially uniform thicknessthroughout, and wherein said rigid backing board is of a substantiallyuniform thickness throughout.